The rise of the robots
Our podcast on markets, the economy and business. This week, can robots help with labour shortages?
ROBOTS ARE GETTING better and cheaper—and that means they will play a much larger role in our lives. They are already reaching beyond the car plants and warehouses, where they have become commonplace, to turn their mechanised hands to making cocktails and cooking chicken. But what will that mean for the economy?
On this week’s podcast, hosts Tom Lee-Devlin, Alice Fulwood and Mike Bird examine whether the rise of the machines is good for workers and hear from Korea, where there are more robots per factory worker than any other country on earth. Kim Povlsen, the boss of robot-maker Universal Robots, says greater automation is needed as populations age and labour shortages become increasingly severe. And Susanne Bieller from the International Federation of Robotics, a global industry group, gives a glimpse of what the future might have in store. Runtime: 36 min
More from Podcasts
Babbage
Why disinformation is more dangerous than ever
Our podcast on science and technology. We investigate the technology and tactics behind deceptive content—and what to do about it
42:57
The Intelligence
If re-elected, Narendra Modi will need to reform India’s economy
Also on the daily podcast: Russia’s weapons and working on a plane
20:22
Editor’s Picks
Why Americans work harder than Europeans
A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist
8:21